Brave
by FaerieTales4ever
Summary: Elphaba's pretty good at ignoring bullies, but when Avaric taunts her with her darkest secret in front of the whole school, Elphaba gets lost. Can her friends help her see that the only opinion that matters is her own? small amount of Fiyeraba :) COMPLETE


**A/N: This is an anti-bullying fic #ForAdam. Cyberbullying needs to end, so my fellow FF writers and I are doing our part to put a stop to it. Warning for some language. Enjoy!**

**Summary: **Elphaba's pretty good at ignoring bullies, but when Avaric taunts her with her darkest secret in front of the whole school, Elphaba gets lost. Can her friends help her see that the only opinion that matters is her opinion of herself?

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!**

**Brave: A Wicked Anti-Bullying fic**

Elphaba dumped her half-eaten lunch in the trash before placing a bookmark in the dog-eared spot of her paperback and gathering the rest of her books. Galinda was slightly ahead of her. She stopped and turned halfway around when she realized her roommate wasn't keeping pace. The blonde shook her head with an amused smile when she swiveled to see the green girl's nose still buried in her latest novel.

"Elphie!" she called, gesturing for the witch to hurry up, "Come on! We're gonna be late for English!"

The witch looked up, holding back a laugh as she took one last bite of her apple before finally closing the book and tossing the mostly untouched food in the garbage. Like Galinda actually cared if they made it to class on time. She hated writing. The only reason she wanted to hurry to English was so she could flirt with the new exchange student, James Winthrop. He'd just transferred from the Glikkus, and the witch knew how much she was dying to go out with him. His dirty blonde hair was always swept to one side and he was kind of scrawny, but remarkably smart from what Elphaba had seen. He had hazel eyes, but was blind as a bat without his thick, red-rimmed glasses, Still, he was nice enough, with a charming sense of humor. The sorceress found him to be a great conversationalist, but he didn't seem Galinda's type at all. She'd said as much one night over dinner, but the blonde didn't care; she simply thought his exotic accent was hunky.

Elphaba rolled her eyes as she returned the tray to the lunch line "Alright, alright, I'm coming!"

Galinda impatiently tapped her foot and hurriedly pulled the green girl along, but stopped and wrinkled her nose in disapproval when she heard her roommate's stomach rumble five feet from the cafeteria doors. "Elphie," she chided with a shake of her aurelian curls, "did you eat _anything _just now besides those three bites of apple I saw you scarf?"

Elphaba's gaze met her shoes and she shuffled her feet guiltily as her cheeks darkened. "I guess I was too absorbed in my book," she admitted.

The heiress laughed and tugged on her arm. "Come on, Miss Bookworm, I'll grab you a bagel or something from the coffee shop on the way."

"Glin, that's not-"

"No arguments." The blonde held up her hand. "You need to eat, Elphie. I can hear your stomach making noises from here."

The green girl snorted, but followed her roommate through the double doors without protest.

Just before they could cross the atrium, Elphaba's eyes narrowed at the sight of a broad-shouldered boy with thick black hair and his signature sneer meandering their way. "Oh, great," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"World class ass heading our way at two o'clock." Elphaba pointed toward the intimidating jock.

Galinda huffed. "What does _he _want?"

Avaric was one of the most attractive men at Shiz. His olive tinted skin seemed to glitter in the sunlight whenever he flexed his perfectly toned football muscles, and the hypnotic color of his sea-blue eyes made most girls swoon on sight- until he opened his mouth and spat out some snarky comment. Everyone learned to back away as soon as possible after that, or else his gaze wouldn't be quite so alluring, but cold and calculating as he worked out the best ways to transform anyone's lives who were lower on the totem pole than him into a living hell. Elphaba had been dealing with dickheads like him her entire life, so she was used to his taunts and jeers. He was nothing more than a pesky fruit fly to her most of the time.

But, as he sauntered toward them now, something in his gaze made her uneasy. His smile was far too snake-like, and the glint in his eyes seemed to have been ignited with a little extra fire today. He circled them greedily, almost licking his lips in anticipation as he eyed the two roommates like a falcon stalking its prey.

"I don't know," Elphaba replied. "But look, isn't that Crope and Tibbit with him?"

Galinda blinked and turned back toward the threesome, surprised to see Elphaba was right. On Avaric's left, a tall, thinly built but well muscled man with a crop of shaggy brown hair that was swept to one side and guilt-ridden green eyes, aimed his gaze downward in discomfort as he shuffled along.

Crope.

Tibbit, who was flanking Avaric's right, also adverted his dark, chocolate eyes as he trudged alongside the demanding jock.

Galinda's brows furrowed as she scrutinized the boys with an icy glare. Elphaba saw the way they stiffened under her friend's watchful stare, and she knew they could feel the blonde boring into them. "What are _they _doing with _him?" _The heiress spat.

"I'm not sure," the green girl answered as her eyes hardened and she set her lips in a grim but determined line before charging ahead. "Come on," she motioned to Galinda, "let's just get out of here before-"

As she passed Avaric and her friends, the Glilkin reached out and smacked Elphaba's books out of her arms. He smirked as the witch stumbled forward from the sudden impact.

The threesome laughed.

"Clumsy, artichoke?" Avaric jeered smugly.

Galinda caught her, her eyes blazing with anger and shooting daggers at Crope and Tibbit, one brow raised precariously as if to ask, _What the hell do you two idiots think you're doing, just standing there while he bullies one of your friends? _

The boys wouldn't meet her eyes.

"You okay, Elphie?" she asked as the green girl found her footing again.

The sorceress grumbled. "I'm fine, Glin." She dropped down to her knees to gather her books. The blonde quickly knelt beside her to help.

"You sure?" Galinda's brow scrunched in concern as she passed Elphaba her new paperback.

"I'm sure," she nodded firmly, pushing up off the floor. "Let's just get to class."

They moved to pass the group again, but the Gilikin blocked their path. This time, he reached forward and yanked Elphaba's glasses off her face, tossing them to the floor.

"Hey!" her roommate fumed. "Stop being such a prick, Avaric."

The jock scoffed. "Oh, feisty, aren't we, blondie?" He smiled cunningly and stepped close enough so Galinda could feel his breath on her neck. Galinda wrinkled her nose in disgust and backed away. "Get away from us, you dick." She glanced sideways at Crope, her gaze urgent.

_Do something! _she screamed inwardly.

Again, he pretended not to see her.

"Why do you even hang out with a reject like her, Galinda?" Pfannee taunted, and the blonde whipped around to notice she was now standing behind Avaric, her eyes cold, smile sickening. "There are _much_ better people at this school."

"Yeah," put in Shenshen, who stood just behind her partner in crime. "Girls who'll _enhance _your reputation, not destroy it."

"Shut up, Shen," Elphaba seethed from where she was groping around on the floor for her glasses. She and Galinda both winced when they heard a painfully loud _crunch_ as Avaric promptly stepped on them and smirked wickedly.

"Oh," the ebony haired girl taunted, "A little defensive today, green bean?"

Pfannee jabbed her in the ribs and joked, "It seems the artichoke, is steamed."

The fivesome cracked up as Elphaba pressed her lips tighter together and resolutely placed the broken lenses back on her face before standing up. She started to shove her way through the growing crowd of onlookers when Avaric suddenly grabbed her bicep and spun her back to face him. The green girl swallowed, trying not to let the anger and fear- or the magic that was rushing so hotly through her body it practically seared at her fingertips- show. It would only give them one more reason to tease her if she let it loose now. Instead she set her jaw and looked Avaric squarely in the eye.

"Aw, did I make the little artichoke drop her glasses? How rude of me," he sneered, clearly pleased with himself. "What's the matter, greenie? Your mom couldn't afford a chemical peel to rid you of that horrendous color?"

"Let. Me Go." Elphaba said fiercely at the same time as Galinda stepped forward.

"Take that back, you ass," she ordered hotly, her nostrils flaring.

His face twisted into an expression of mock horror "Okay, okay." He threw up his hands in surrender before placing one palm dramatically over his heart. "Here you are, sweetheart," he drawled condescendingly, "Here's a token to show you how sorry I am for my offensive remarks." He handed her the flower clutched in his beefy palm.

Galinda gasped.

Elphaba stumbled backward at the sight of the four-petaled, milky-white flower with a pink center. "Wh- where did you get that?' she stuttered, pointing a trembling finger at the haunting blossom. She _hated_ those wretched flowers. They'd taken her mother.

Avaric scoffed. "What's wrong, _princess_?" he jeered. "Don't you like Milk Flowers?"

Elphaba stayed mute as Galinda slowly begin to drag her away. "Come on, Elphie," she soothed, shooting one last look at their now former friends. "Just ignore them."

"Oh, that's right, they killed your mother, didn't they?" he mused menacingly. "Or rather, you did, by being born that hideous color!"

That made both Galinda and Elphaba stop short. The blonde felt her best friend go stiff in her arms. "How- how did you…" Elphaba's mind swirled with terrible memories. Only four people knew her secret; Galinda, Fiyero… and Tibbit and Crope.

Her stomach launched into her throat and her heart dropped as realization dawned. Had one of them _told_? Her hands became clammy. Elphaba couldn't breathe. The air hitched in her chest; her vision began to go black.

Avaric laughed evilly. "Your father was _ashamed _of you," he spat. "So ashamed, in fact, that he made your mother chew Milk Flowers, _didn't_ he?" His eyes were now a dark, menacing green, like wickedness incarnate as they burned into her trembling frame.

Scenes flashed through her mind and searing like hot coals: Nessa's crying, her mother's screams as she pushed her youngest daughter out- the last real sound Elphaba would hear from her as she grew weaker and weaker with each passing hour. Her last words to the sobbing, two year old green girl: _Be good, my Fabala. I love you. _The feeling of her ice cold hand against her eldest daughter's warm skin when they came to say goodbye for the last time.

It was too much. Elphaba slumped back against Galinda and whimpered pitifully as her head begin to pound with the horrific images.

"But he made her chew too many," the monster continued. "So many, that they _killed_ her. And they left your sister a _cripple_."

"Avaric," Galinda's firm voice cut through the crowd as she wrapped an arm about her trembling roommate. "Stop."

"This isn't your fight, blondie," he resorted. Stay out of it."

Galinda clenched her fists. "Why you-"

"Well?" Avaric tapped his foot impatiently and gestured to the crowd."We're waiting."

"Elphie," Galinda started, "you don't have to-"

"Y- yes," Elphaba stammered as tears streamed down her cheeks. "B- but that's not-"

"Not your fault?" he taunted. "Is that what you were going to say? Your father made the choices he did because of _you_, Elphaba, because he couldn't stand to have another abomination in the family."

"Elphie's not a-" Galinda shouted.

"Shut it, Galinda," Avaric ordered again. Then he turned back toward the withering green girl. "You're a killer, Elphaba. An outcast. You destroy everything you touch."

"I… I don't-" Elphaba tried to stand up for herself, but she couldn't utter more than a few words before Avaric wrenched her away from the blonde by her forearm and kicked her to the floor.

Galinda gasped and dropped beside her as the witch cried out and clutched her side in pain. "You _monster_!" she shrieked.

Avaric only laughed. "You're a _mistake, _greenie," he taunted again. "And that's all you'll ever be." Elphaba only sobbed harder, making no move to get up.

"You _fucking asshole_," the blonde seethed, pushing herself up and marching toward him.

Avaric backed up, suddenly afraid at the abject fury flashing in her eyes. Just before she could deck him, a new voice pushed through the crowd.

"Hey!"

Galinda's eyes lit up as she swiveled toward the voice. "Fiyero!" she breathed. "Oh, thank Oz!"

The prince took one look at the chaotic scene and whirled on Avaric. "What the _hell _is going on here?" he demanded steelily.

"I..." Avaric searched the crowd uneasily. "That is...we..." He pointed to Elphaba, his voice strained from being caught in the act. "She tried to..."

"Yes?" Fiyero hissed, grabbing the older boy by his shirt. "Spit. It. Out," he commanded through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing fire.

"Avaric just _injured _Elphie!" Galinda jumped in, not wanting the scene to get any uglier than it already was. "He was saying cruel things about her mother and-" At that moment, she heard shuffling from the floor. She turned to see that Elphaba had pushed herself up and sprinted out the doors, limping horribly as tears continued to course down her cheeks.

"Oh, _shit!_" Galinda cursed. Then she hiked up her skirt and raced after her roommate. "Elphie!"

* * *

><p>It took a lot to make the prince of Vinkus angry, but Fiyero was positively livid as he watched his best friend dart after his injured and emotionally distraught girlfriend. His nostrils flared and he gripped the bulky Gilikin's broad shoulders like a vice, their almost foot difference in height no longer a problem under the younger boy's raging fury. His hazel eyes flashed dangerously as his words seeped like venom over Avaric and his co-conspirators, "What. In all. of Oz. Did you think you were doing choosing to mess with my girlfriend like that, Tenmeadows?" His voice was eerily calm, but no one missed the sharp edge teetering just behind his level exterior. None of them had ever seen the prince this close to losing it, but they all, even the senior quarterback, knew that at this particular moment, one wrong move or sound could mean their doom.<p>

Slowly and carefully, the gathered crowd begin to disperse. No one wanted to be caught in the warpath of a raging crowned prince defending his girlfriend. Even Pfannee and Shenshen inched backward. As soon as they were close to the doors, they practically sprinted across the lawn. Soon it was just Fiyero, Avaric, Crope, and Tibbit facing off in the atrium. The two younger boys tried to sneak away as well, but Fiyero stopped then in their tracks with one icy glare and a snap of his fingers.

"Not. You two." He halted them midstep. "I'll deal with _you _in a minute. Traitors," he spat.

Crope locked Tibbit's gaze and they swiveled around, mutely hanging their heads in shame.

Satisfied that his- possibly former, after what he'd just seen- friends would stay put for the time being, he turned his penetrating gaze back on the hulking quarterback, who suddenly looked meek and unimpressive under the furious prince. "I'm waiting," he mocked menacingly. "_Answer me_,Tenmeadows. Or should I tell Coach what just happened here and have you banned from the team? Indefinitely."

Avaric swallowed an audible gasp.

"No letterman jacket," Fiyero ticked items off on his fingers, "No chance at the championships, no _scholarship _for this last semester, _or_ recommendation letters to law school for next year," he threatened.

Avaric snorted at that, despite the utter panic seeping out of his every pore, as evidenced by the sweat beading down his forehead. "You wouldn't," he dared, leveling their gazes.

"Try me," the prince hissed back, never blinking.

Avaric gulped so hard his Adam's apple was visible.

"That's what I thought," Fiyero determined resolutely. "Tell me what in all of Lurline above was going through that thick, dickheaded skull of yours just now, and _maybe _I'll let you keep that scholarship," he growled at the older boy. "And it better be a _hell _of a good explanation."

For a moment, no one said anything. Avaric threw a helpless glance back at Crope and Tibbit, but they just shrugged their shoulders and kept their eyes trained to the tile.

"No answer?" Fiyero asked with narrowing eyes and a glare that seemed to see right into the depths of their souls. "Well alright," he conceded with a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess I'll just have to go tell Coach and Madame Morrible you forfeit your scholarship _and _your varsity spot for the championship." He turned on his heel and began making his way toward the offices. "I hope you have some money saved up."

"My father is the Margreave of Tenmeadows!" Avaric shouted, suddenly finding his voice. "He can send whatever I need." He tried to hold his intimidating demeanor, but the Vinkun saw right through it.

"Yeah," he retorted, turning back to face him and taking a few strides forward. "The _bankrupt_ Margreave of Tenmeadows."

Avaric's cheeks flushed bright red and he clamped his mouth shut.

"How would you like it if people started making fun of that, huh? How your grandfather ran Tenmeadows into the ground, so now your father has to bear the reputation and rebuild the economy from scratch?" he wondered aloud.

Avaric was taken aback by that, and at first he wasn't sure how to respond. "I..."

"Or, how 'bout if people started wondering what happened to _your_ mother?" the prince continued. "Only, instead of asking you and letting you decide whether or not you trusted them enough to tell, they started spreading rumors." He shrugged and tapped his chin. "Hmmm...maybe she was a pole dancer who was having an affair...or, I know! What if she fell in love with an Animal and ran out on your father to join the Resistance?" He raised an eyebrow pointedly at the quarterback to see whether the message had gotten through yet.

Avaric's eyes blazed and he balled his fists as his breathing came out in heavy pants. "My mother would never-" he protested. Fiyero cut him off.

"I know," he said. "But it wouldn't be so pleasant if that's what everyone thought of her, _would_ it?"

The bully's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't..."

The prince held up a hand to stop him and slowly shook his head. "Of course not," he said. "I'm not you, Avaric. I don't choose to put down on others, or spread rumors just so I can look better than someone else. I just did what I did to prove a point." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "Do you get it?"

Avaric curled his hands tightly until they resembled claws, making his well-toned biceps bulge. "Do you have any idea what I'm capable of, Tiggular?" he growled. "If I wanted to, I could slander you so bad...You'd never work in this town again."

Fiyero simply shrugged. "Maybe so," he acknowledged. "But it really wouldn't matter. In fact, if you tried, I might just thank you."

_That _got Avaric's attention. "What are you playing at, Tiggular?" he queried as his eyes morphed into slits. "Do you even _know _who your dealing with? Or are you sophmore jocks even dumber than I thought?"

Crope and Tibbit watched the confrontation, enraptured in Fiyero's ability to appear completely at ease in front of the biggest threat on campus.

"I'm perfectly aware, Tenmeadows," Fiyero said evenly. "But my true friends, and my family, they know who I _really_ am. No matter what rumors you could start about me, I _know _they'd stick by my side. Can you say the same?" he challenged.

Avaric, for once, held his tongue.

"We all have demons in our closets, Avaric. Things we'd rather hide or pretend never happened. You rule your friends with fear, because you're too afraid to let them see who you really are. You make fun of others only so you don't have to acknowledge your own flaws. People like Elphaba don't _have_ that luxury. She _can't _hide her differences, because they stare her straight in the eye every time she looks in the mirror. She learned to own up to who she is, despite a lifetime of hardship and ridicule thrust upon her by people like _you_." He spat the last word directly in the senior's face. "She's the strongest person I've ever met, and with our help, we'll make her even stronger. I'm _not _going to let her soul be crushed by some lowlife like _you_."

Avaric's nostrils steamed like a dragon's. He reared in rage and went to throw a punch at the prince, but Fiyero easy ducked and caught his beefy arm.

"So the next time you think about dragging someone else's ghosts out of the closet," he continued steadily, "you'd better make sure you can face up to your own first." Then he released the quarterback's arm and shoved him slightly backward. "Now, get out of my sight, so I can go clean up your mess."

Avaric ground his teeth."You're gonna regret this, Tiggular. Mark my words," he roared.

Fiyero smirked. "No," he countered calmly. "Somehow, I don't think I will."

Avaric huffed and stalked angrily across the lawn.

Satisfied that the upstart, entitled jock would no longer be bothering his girlfriend, the prince then turned his focus on his ex-friends, who were both watching him, wide-eyed, mouths agape. They immediately clamped them shut and swallowed hard when Fiyero's stone cold eyes settled straight on them.

"Any explanation at all?" he asked, one eyebrow arched impatiently.

Crope still wouldn't meet his gaze, but Tibbit whispered, "He said he would help us. He said if we went along with what he wanted for a week, if we gave up one secret, he would get us reinstated into the basketball team," he admitted guiltily.

Fiyero's eyes flashed. "Basketball?" he spat, disgusted. "Are you fucking serious right now, Tibbit? He won you over by offering a stupid team jersey?!"

"We're sick of this, Fiyero!" Crope suddenly burst out, finally looking him in his eyes. "Ever since we came out as a couple, all our old friends have basically disowned us!"

Fiyero scoffed. "Then I guess they weren't really your friends, _were _they?" he inquired, his voice dripping with venom. "Elphaba _defended _you! She always has. And _this_ is how you repay her? By siding with the person who only sets out to cause her misery? Seriously?" He shook his head in utter disappointment. "I thought you were better friends than that."

"We just wanted to stop getting thrown in dumpsters!" defended Tibbit.

"And you thought giving up your friend's deepest regret was the answer?" he seethed.

"We tried to give up other secrets, really! Things we knew wouldn't bother Elphaba, but…" Tibbit trailed off.

"We had no idea what he was going to do with the information we gave him-" Crope tried to explain.

"Oh, for Oz's sake, Crope!" Fiyero whacked him on the back of the head. "Use your brain! He _hates _Elphaba! Of _course _he was going to try and make a laughing stock out of her! Are you _insane_?! How could you _do _that?"

Tibbit hung his head. "We know that… now."

"But by the time we figured it out-"

"We were in too deep," Tibbit finished. "Avaric threatened to send Crope to the infirmary if we didn't give up some "real dirt!"

Fiyero scoffed. "And, now, thanks to you two, that's _exactly _where _Elphaba _might end up."

The pair cringed. "Does she hate us?" Crope asked timidly.

The prince sneered. "What do _you _think, _traitor_?"

Tibbit winced at the nickname. "We're really sorry, man. We were too stupid to realize what the hell we were doing until it was too late."

"We had no idea he would attack her like that," Crope added, "We swear."

Fiyero turned away. "Sorry isn't gonna cut it right now," he hissed. "She _trusted _you. Do you know how _hard_ that is for her?"

The boys eyed the ground as guilt twisted their stomachs.

"Almost everyone she's ever trusted has let her down." He looked back at them mournfully. "And I guess you two are no exception."

Then the prince turned on his heel before either of them could come up with some sort of pitiful defense and strode toward the offices. He didn't _really_ have the power to get rid of Avaric's scholarship, but he _could _keep him from the championship game on grounds of physical and mental harassment. Any other punishment would have to be determined by the coach and head Shiztress.

* * *

><p>Galinda crept into their dormitory. She was sweaty and out of breath from her sprint, but for once she didn't give an ounce of care about her appearance.<p>

"Elphie?" she called. She stepped closer to her roommate's bed and was heartbroken to see the green girl curled into a fetal position, clutching her side. Her broken glasses lay sideways on the nightstand. Galinda's stomach churned. She heard no evidence that Elphaba was crying, but her body shook violently, and if she leaned over far enough, she could see a steady stream of tears making their way down her best friend's emerald cheeks. The blonde bit her lip and blinked back the burning sensation as moisture stung her own eyes. She sat down on the bed, but Elphaba didn't move with the shift in weight. Cautiously, Galinda reached out and placed a tentative, shaking hand on the green girl's back. "Elphie?" she whispered into the darkness once more.

"Go away," the witch rasped. Her voice was raw and pained, thick with despair and betrayal. It shattered Galinda's heart to hear it.

"Elphie," she said again, louder this time, "You can't let what that ass said get to you-"

"Why not?" the sorceress asked bitterly as she bolted upright and shot dark sable daggers at her roommate while wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's all true. I _am_ a monster. I killed my mother. Her death happened because of me." Her voice cracked then, and the tears came harder.

Galinda sucked in her breath and pulled Elphaba close, rocking her back and forth and threading her slender fingers through the taller girl's thick, ebony locks as she buried her face in her petite roommate's shoulder. "You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked quietly.

Elphaba nodded into her roommate's neck. "I should've never been born," she lamented, the statement like acid to Galinda's ears.

"Elphie!" she gasped. "Don't say that!"

"But it's true." She lifted her head and locked her red-rimmed eyes and tear soaked cheeks with the heiress' pleading gaze. "If I hadn't been born, my father would've never made Mother chew those flowers. She never would've died, Nessa wouldn't be crippled, Father wouldn't be a laughing stock-"

"And I never would've found my best friend," Galinda countered pointedly as she leaned back to get a tissue from the nightstand and gently pressed it into Elphaba's hand. "I never would've discovered sorcery, or had the courage to speak for the Animals again if it weren't for you. I'd still be hiding behind my snooty ex-friends and 'perfect' reputation."

Elphaba frowned as she let out a long sigh and wiped her eyes again before crumpling the tissue in her hand. "But-"

"And Fiyero never would've met the love of his life," she continued. "Or had the guts to take on his family name. The crown would've gone to one of his sisters, if it weren't for you."

"Glin I-" the green girl started again.

"_You _did that, Elphie. You're changing our _lives_." She clasped the other girl's shaking emerald hands in her own and smiled. "For the better."

The sorceress sighed. "But I've also _ruined _lives, Galinda. Nessa, my mother-"

"Have you?" the blonde queried. "Or do you just think that because that's what some people _say_?"

"I…" The witch trailed off, suddenly uncertain. "It's all they've ever said, Glin." The statement was broken and robotic, as if even the witch herself was tired of defending her opinions, however skewed or one-sided they might be.

"Who?" her friend challenged. "Has Nessa ever said she wishes you were out of her life?"

"Well, no," the sorceress admitted. "But-"

"Or is it just your jackass of a father who you'll never have to see again after you meet the Wizard and he sees how amazingly talented you are," Elphaba blushed at the compliment, "and some meaningless school bullies who will probably never make it in life?"

The sorceress studied her lap, not willing to meet Galinda's encouraging gaze.

The heiress shifted positions so she sat crosslegged on the bed and gently lifted the green girl's chin so she could look into her fragile eyes. "Just because someone says something," she whispered, "that doesn't mean its true."

Elphaba looked away. "Yeah, but that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"True," Galinda agreed, "but someone being a major ass shouldn't cause you so much self-doubt either, Elphie. _You _know who you are, _I _know who you are, and we _all_ know its _not _the person Avaric is trying to turn you into."

"So… what are you saying?" Elphaba scrunched her brow.

"I'm saying," Galinda stressed, squeezing the sorceresses hand, "that you've got to stop hiding every time he tries to knock you down."

"I don't hide," Elphaba objected.

"You do," her roommate protested. "I see you when he's around. Your walls climb sky high and you curl into yourself. You _let _him toy with you, Elphie," she reprimanded, gently. "And, I think, it's because, somehow, deep down Avaric reminds you of your father."

Elphaba bit her lip and cast her eyes downward. "I don't like what he does to me," she confessed, "but I don't know how to stop it."

"By simply trying." Galinda hugged her gently. "By standing up for yourself, and trusting that Fiyero and I will always be on your side."

"But… how do I _do _that?" she repeated, her frightened sable eyes searching Galinda's determined sapphire orbs in a desperate plea for help.

Galinda squeezed her hand. "You can be amazing, you can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug. You can be the outcast, or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love. Or you can start speaking up."

"It's not that simple, Galinda," the green girl sighed. "You're an Upland. You come from a highly privileged society where everyone respects you. You don't know what its like to be ridiculed every day of your life, simply because you exist."

"Then tell me, Elphie," she encouraged. "Help me understand."

Elphaba fingered her course blankets. "It wears on you after awhile," she mumbled. "It… makes you wonder if its even worth it to resist." She let out a deep breath as Galinda clasped her hand and pulled her closer.

"Elphie…"

"Nothing quite hurts you the way that words do when they burrow beneath your skin, Kept on the inside with no sunlight. Sometimes… Sometimes the shadows wins." She looked up forlornly, surprised to see that Galinda's eyes were still hard and determined.

"That may be true," she admitted and Elphaba snorted in agreement. "But I wonder what would happen if you say what you wanna say, and let the words fall out honestly. I wanna see you be brave."

Elphaba gulped and let her eyes travel back downward as she blinked back a new stream of tears. Galinda wiped a few stray ones from her cheeks.

"Please?" she implored. "For me?"

The sorceress couldn't meet her eyes. "I want to…" she whispered. "Oz, if you only knew how much I want to…" She trailed off with a faraway look in her eyes.

"But?" her roommate prodded patiently. "I know there's a _but_ in there, Elphie," she said. "I can hear it in your voice." The witch cringed and Galinda gently stroked her arm. "What's holding you back? Give that arrogant dick a piece of your mind!"

Elphaba fisted a chunk of her knit comforter in her emerald palm, biting down hard on her bottom lip. She hated letting anyone see her weak, and after what just happened, she wasn't sure who she could trust. Still… Galinda seemed so concerned, so utterly sincere and almost close to tears herself due to the green girl's distress. She couldn't bare to see her like that. "I… I'm scared," she finally whispered, cheeks burning in shame. She hated feeling so vulnerable.

There was silence from the other girl. Only her calm, even breathing could be heard echoing through the room, and almost immediately, Elphaba started kicking herself. How could she have thought Galinda would understand? She may be her best friend, but the one thing Elphaba and Galinda had absolutely no common ground on, was how they felt about their positions of social standing. Galinda was a people lover, the social butterfly who wanted to see the best in everyone. Elphaba was a cynic and a realist. Of course they would never see eye to eye on an issue such as this. She felt stupid for even considering the notion.

For a minute, the blonde said nothing. Not because she didn't understand, or because she didn't know what it felt like to be afraid of how people saw you, or what they would do or say, but because the person who admitted to _feeling _those things was… well, _Elphaba_. The one person Galinda admired most at Shiz, because since they day they'd met, she'd never shied away from ridicule, never been afraid to march to the beat of her own drum, no matter what anyone else thought. Galinda always aspired to be like that one day, to do what she thought was right for _her _and no one else. Now, to find out that there _was _in fact someone who could rattle the green girl's seemingly impenetrable bubble… It threw Galinda for a loop, to say the least. But it also made her love the witch that much more. Those little fears that she kept hidden from the rest of the world… it just made Galinda feel that much more special that she was allowed to see them. It proved that underneath all the wit and sarcasm and ill-temperament, Elphaba was indeed, only human.

She smiled softly and gently brought Elphaba's chin upward so their gazes were locked once more. "Everybody's been there," she said gently. "Everybody's been stared down by the enemy. Fallen to the fear and done some disappearing, we've all bowed down to the mighty. But you shouldn't run. Just _stop_ holding your tongue."

Elphaba's chin trembled. "That's easy for you to say," she shot back. "But what if it only gets worse?"

"It won't." Galinda assured her fiercely.

"How do you know?" she scoffed softly. "Can you _guarantee _things will get better if I open my big, far too sarcastic mouth to that brute?" She raised a precarious eyebrow. "Can you be absolutely positive it won't backfire on me, on _us?"_

Galinda giggled a bit at her roommate's dry sense of humor, glad to see that, at least in a form, it was returning. "No," she admitted, "but we'll never know if we don't try." She squeezed the green girl's hand a bit tighter. "And I'll be right beside you the whole time." She smiled gently at the green girl again. "Trust me."

At that, Elphaba's wounded sable eyes hardened, and she slumped down on the bed. "After today," she sighed miserably, "I don't know who to trust anymore."

The blonde's eyes widened in pain and she drew her hand back. "Elphaba," she shook her head as sudden tears brimmed in her eyes, "You can't think that I'd ever..." She didn't finish, but there was no need, the green girl knew what she'd wanted to say.

She just exhaled and shook her head sadly, wrapping her arms about herself. "I don't know what to think, Galinda," she confessed. "Not now."

The heiress huffed, stomping her foot resolutely on the hardwood floor as she looked her roommate squarely in the eye. "I don't know who told Avaric your secret, Elphaba Thropp," she said sternly, "but I swear to Oz, it wasn't me."

The sorceress met her eyes then. Galinda's gaze was fierce and fiery, and Elphaba saw the sincerity laden there. "I believe you," she finally relented after an eternity of studying the other girl's features for the slightest sign of mistrust and finding none. "But if you didn't, then who-"

"Crope and Tibbit," a male voice deadpanned.

Both girls whipped around to face their door, where Fiyero leaned casually against the right side of the doorframe. "Yero?" The green girl asked. "What are you doing here?"

"You said Crope and Tibbit did this?" Galinda repeated.

"Mmm," the prince confirmed. "They were snakes in disguise, apparently. Avaric bought them out with invitations to join the basketball team," he scoffed, his face still red when he thought of their betrayal.

"The _basketball_ team?" the blonde hissed venomously. "Are you serious, Fifi?"

"'Fraid so, Glin."

"Those dicks!" she seethed, her blue eyes cold as ice.

"And to think I actually stood up for them!" Elphaba spat. "Well, just goes to show you I guess. You never really can tell who you can trust," she said bitterly.

"That's not true, Elphie," Galinda protested.

"Glin's right, Fae." Fiyero said, coming into the room and around the side of the green girl's bed. "And, as to what I'm doing here," he plopped down on the comforter and pulled the witch to him, combing back her raven tresses and dropping a tender kiss on her forehead, "Did you really think I wouldn't come make sure you were alright after what that jerk did to you?"

Elphaba blushed. "Thanks, Yero," she grinned, nuzzling into her boyfriend. "H...How is he?"

"Avaric?' She nodded. "For now, kicked off of the team for the championships."

Galinda gasped. "Fifi, you didn't!" Her eyes shown with admiration.

"Hell yes I did, Glin," he boasted proudly. "Morrible and Coach are still deliberating further punishment, but…" he turned to the sorceress, "they need to see your injury, Fae, before they can go any farther," he confessed gently. "They need proof. How is it, by the way?"

Elphaba winced as he fingered the tender stop. "Argh! Uh… it- it's fine," she hissed through gritted teeth.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound fine, Fae," he chided. He started to lift the side of her dress, but the green girl's eyes morphed into slits as she shoved the fabric back in place.

"Really," she insisted, "it's nothing."

"Elphie!" Galinda whined. "It's not nothing, and you know it."

"Fae," the prince ordered softly, "show us the bruise."

The witch groaned, but reluctantly lifted her dress so the pair could see the large, angry bruise in the shape of Avarice boot that was splattered across the top of her left hip and pelvis as it quickly colored to alarming shades of purple and blue.

"Oz, Elphie!" her roommate yelped upon seeing the injury. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I _told _you guys, I'm _fine_." But even as she said it, her friends could tell that every little bending movement was a struggle as she went to sit back down.

"We need to get you to the infirmary," Fiyero decided, pulling his girlfriend back up and supporting a part of her weight on his shoulders. "Glin, help me?"

"Guys!" the sorceress protested, wrenching away from their grip, "My _side _is injured, not my _legs_ I can _walk_.

"Ah ha," Fiyero caught her, "So you admit you're injured."

Elphaba glared at him. "Nevertheless, I can still use my feet."

"As long as it's to walk to the infirmary," he kissed her cheek lightly, "that's fine by me."

"You really need to let him stop treating you like this, Elphie," Galinda pointed out again as she held the door ajar. "You don't deserve it."

"I know," the witch sighed, "but… He scares me."

"We're right here, Fae." Fiyero draped one arm around her shoulders as they walked and pulled her into a careful embrace so as not to aggravate her injury. "We won't let you face him alone."

"Fiyero's right, Elphie," Galinda smiled encouragingly. "If he wants to get to you, he'll have to go through _us_," she attested.

Elphaba couldn't help chuckling at her dramatic, but clearly devoted, friends. "Alright," she relented, "Next time I see him, I'll give him a piece of my mind."

"We," Fiyero corrected. "_We'll _give him a piece of our minds Then he captured her in a deep kiss.

"Mmm...Yes," the green girl murmured contentedly against his cherry red lips. "We."

* * *

><p><em>The End<em>


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